Castles & Palaces In & Around Paris

In the lower level of the Louvre Museum’s Sully Wing visitors can see substantial foundations of the original Louvre Castle. Built as a fortress by King Philip II of France, and completed in 1202, it was intended to reinforce the walls constructed to protect Paris against invasions. The threat then being from the English who were based in Normandy. In the 14th century the castle became a royal residence for King Charles V – the Louvre Palace.

Now one of the most famous museums in the world, the Louvre was a Royal residence. A 12 century fortress became a residence for Charles V in the mid 14th century, when he abandoned the Palais de la Cité. Since then it the principle residence of kings of France until the French Revolution, when parts of it became a public museum. The museum now occupies the entire complex. Collections include art and antiquities from France and Mediterranean Europe (Etruscan, Greek and Roman). There are also substantial collections of Egyptian and Near Eastern antiquities, from late prehistory to the start of Christian and Islamic periods.

On the Île de la Cité, this palace was the residence of French kings between the 6th and 14th centuries. From then until the French Revolution it housed financial and judicial offices of state. After the Revolution it was used as a prison, the most famous inmate being Marie-Antoinette. Part of the palace was Sainte-Chapelle, built by Louis IX for his passion relics. Although greatly developed over the centuries, many original features of the royal residence have survived.

This former royal palace now houses the French Ministry of Culture, the Conseil d’État and the Constitutional Council. Over the centuries royals from around Europe took up residence here. Guided tours are available introducing visitors to changing fortunes of the palace’s history, from the 18th century when parts were opened up to retailers, its place in the French Revolution and its association with prostitution in the 19th century.

There is nothing left in place of the Tuileries Palace to see in Paris today. The building was set on fire by the Paris Commune, the socialist government that ruled the city for ten days in March of 1871. It was subsequently demolished with stone going to Corsica to build the Château de la Punta, and statuary used on various schools, roads and bridges. Some statues can be seen inside the Galerie du Carrousel entrance to the Louvre Museum.

The Élysée Palace has been the official residence of the French Head of State since the Franco Prussian War. Now in the centre of Paris, in the early 18th century this area was a forest and marsh. It was here that the wealthy built their private mansions. The earliest Élysée was built for the Count of Evreux. In 1848, the Élysée became the residence of the first President of the French Republic, Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte. It is not possible to visit the palace, but there is an exception virtual tour of the state residence.

Now the home of the French Senate, the Palais du Luxembourg was built for Marie de’ Medici on becoming a widow and regent to her son, King Louis XIII. Marie wanted it to look like Palazzo Pitti, with gardens emulating the Boboli Gardens, where she grew up. Today the palace is not open to the public, but the former orangery is now a contemporary art museum (Musée du Luxembourg). The gardens, with over 100 statues, monuments and fountains, are open to the public (during hours of daylight) and are a popular green space in Paris.

Across the Seine River from the Place de la Concorde is the meeting place of the French National Assembly. Built in 1722 for the Duchess of Bourbon, the legitimised daughter of Louis XIV and the Marquise de Montespan, it is called the Palais Bourbon. It was not until 1806 that the imposing neoclassical façade was added, to mirror the Madeleine Church on the other side of the public square. Public visits are possible, but these are restricted – consult the official website.

Today the Grand Palais is a large exhibition and museum complex on the Champs-Élysées, having being built for the Exposition Universalle of 1900. Architecturally, it is known for its glass barrel-vaulted roof – an innovative technique at the time of its construction. During WW1 it was used as a hospital, and during the occupation of Paris it was used by the Nazis as a truck depot and then to stage propaganda exhibitions.

Designed in the Beaux-Arts architectural style, the Petit Palais was built for the city’s Universal Exposition in 1900, now home to the City of Paris Museum of Fine Arts. One of Paris’ finest art galleries, from its origins it showcased artworks that the city authorities had been collecting since 1870, and over the years its collection has expanded through donations. Seeking to present a broad history of European art, its collection includes artefacts from the Classical world as well as works by some of the continent’s most important artists, from medieval engravings by Albrecht Dürer through to Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings by Claude Monet, Paul Gauguin, and Paul Cézanne.